Dear Chairman Steele,
Congratulations on your election as Chairman of the Republican National Committee, and I wish you much success as you take on the task of recharging the Republican Party...the Grand Old Party...the party of Abraham Lincoln and Ronald Reagan.
Ronald Reagan. It absolutely amazes me how it's near impossible to say or even think Republican and not immediately picture President Reagan. Yes...those were the good old days...supply side economics, battling the 'evil empire', busting up labor unions and bombing Muammar Gaddafi back into the Stone Ages. I still remember, as if it were yesterday, the electoral vote map after the 1984 Presidential landslide election showing every state red...well except Minnesota and Washington DC which are self explanatory...but I digress.
Mr. Steele you have an unenviable task to say the least. Republicans are disoriented, confused, perplexed and just down right lost. Sure, it's easy to blame all the party's ills on poor G.W. or even Karl Rove, but is that fair? Congress was controlled by Republicans for six of W's eight years, and our government grew at an astounding rate. Republicans acted like Democrats, Democrats talked like Republicans. How can that be? Isn't the GOP the party of conservatives? Of less government is better government?
As a conservative, a true conservative, I feel...well...somewhat abandoned. I must confess to being a Blue Dog Democrat in my younger days, but I began to see changes in the Democratic Party platform that didn't reflect my own values. Either from a misunderstanding of the Republican Party or believing the Democrat's propaganda, I didn't feel successful enough or wealthy enough to be a Republican. Plus, I was raised in a blue collar family of staunch Harry Truman Democrats...pre-Camelot stuff. Changing parties was an unpardonable act to the family...my heritage. I know, to some extent, you can empathize with my feelings of isolation. The alienation you must feel having Oreos thrown at you in certain crowds with the implication that you're 'black on the outside, but white on the inside.' It's deplorable, despicable and denigrating (at the risk of sounding like Jessee Jackson). But for me, Ronald Reagan changed all that...again though, I digress.
Mr. Chairman, as Republicans, are we conservatives? Understanding your recent tiff with talking-head blowhard Rush Limbaugh, I don't mean do we speak conservative...but are we to vote, lobby and govern as true conservative? You will play a major part in defining the party's platform, and unless you 'man up' a lot more than you did after waffling on the Limbaugh call out...well...the Log Cabin Republicans may end up with more say in the party than I'm personally comfortable accepting. What Rush said was wrong...plain and simple. If President Obama completely fails, a lot of Americans, both Democrats and Republicans, will be hurt even more financially. If the Commander in Chief fails, military men and women die in service to their country. That, sir, is unacceptable to say... much less accept as a premise.
There are other ways to win back the White House and Congress without malicious talk and vindictiveness. Please start the process by defining what it is to be a Republican. If that is synonymous with conservative, then hold elected Republicans accountable in the public forum. Call them out and stand by your convictions...Republican convictions. President Reagan governed by his convictions, right or wrong, and Americans followed. Mr. Steele, be a Ronald Reagan...lead the charge to win back the White House...win one for the Gipper.
Mr. Chairman, I leave you with a single visual to emphasize my plea. Who will be the face of the Republican Party under your watch?
I'm afraid if it is the latter, I will be forced to change yet again...to the Libertarian Party.
Most Respectfully,
Tony C Today
P.S. That very picture of President Reagan still proudly adorns my walls. I have more than one.
6 comments:
A BIG 'ole AMEN to that!
Good stuff Tony!
I belong to the "Think for Myself" party. And here is what I think has to happen. We need to get rid of the labels (not liberals, but that is a good idea too!) like conservative and right. We need to forget about the divide between them and us, especially when we have the opportunity to define policy (my how we blew that). We need to simply stand for what we believe.
Ronnie had a good handle on what works. The end of the Cold War was amazing! Because we have stepped left, it has begun again. I don't fear Iran or Iraq, and explosion there would simply mean that we have to get off foreign oil today, not whenever. Look for Russia to take it's place of power as it was during the Cold War, and China, they have enough American bucks to become more affluent than the USA in the next 10 years. Especially now that we've given them an other Trillion to make AK's with.
So, as we redefine, let's make sure that we are secure, manage our own money, get off foreign oil, and protect freedom.
From the tiff, I'm thinking Steele sure doesn't think Rush is the leader. Matter of fact, I thought it a little weird when Steele threw in, quietly, 'I'm the leader of the Republican party' in an interview a few days ago. I guess he IS, in a way, but...
I've been a huge fan of his and am a bit disappointed in him so far, but I have high hopes. He's finding his way.
About Rush and hoping obama fails, Tony....he's explained a dozen times or more (as you know) that he doesn't want the country to fail but he can't be hoping socialist plans succeed. We don't either, right? We just wish obama's plans were more typically AMERICAN in nature; relying on smaller gov't, the goodness and self reliance of our people,...our ability to weather through hard times until the market rights itself (with a little help from the government, which doesn't bother me TOO much).
Well...to say the least, we have interesting days ahead. Good post.
Well said Tony
David - I need to come over to your party...along with everyone else. We all need to think a little more and drink a little less of the Kool Aid being dished out.
Z- Rush scares me. He's an entertainer, not a think tank sorta guy. His shock jock mentality makes him the Michael Moore of the Republicans. We don't need that in the party...much less as conservatives.
I've got a couple of photos of President I'd be happy to loan to Mr. Steele.
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